Chapter 29: 22.𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭

I remove my jacket and keep it aside leaning against the chair

An unknown groan escapes my mouth due to the whole exertion. I am behind the curtains, the NYX fashion show is about to end. All the models are back and preparing for the after party. Mom is giving her closing speech

My teammates are listening to her

My whole body is burning up because of the stress during the whole fashion show. This was my first fashion show, the first time ever when my designs were worn by a few models. It's not only my work but my whole team . I should be proud of myself yet I feel uncomfortable

My breathing is heavy, my head is about to explode. Never thought a fashion show would be more exhausting than working. A few hours ago this place was a chaos, everyone doing their best to make this show a hit and it did. NYX is the top trending topic over Australia right now

I could fall asleep anytime now but I have a party to attend. My head falls back on the wall and I close my eyes. I sense a person sitting beside me "you look like shit" I glance at Adam but don't have the energy to reply back

"I think you should rest, we will manage here"

He comments making my eyes snap open

"You sure?"

He nods "You look really tired, you have been working since morning. You need some rest for the party . Go back I will manage here" he assures me

Mom's speech is still going on. Everything is almost wrapped up . I think it's fine to leave. I check my watch, it's half past five and the after party is at 8 in the evening. I think I could take a nap

"Thanks, I will get going. See you at the party" I stand up and look at Adam who gives me a thumbs up.

I drove back to my apartment, I had a hard time trying to open my eyes . As I enter the house I directly fall on bed . Buddy is with my neighbors for today so it's peaceful in the apartment . I close my eyes

....

After taking a nap , I felt a bit better but still not in my best form . I take a quick shower and get ready for the after party, which of course is formal clothing which gives me no option but to wear a suit and the most irritating part is the tie. I am not a suit kinda guy

I message Stella that I will pick her up in 15 minutes. After being satisfied with my look , I drive to her dorm and park the car in front of the building like last time. I get out of the car and lean against it messaging here

I am here

Freckles:give me 5

I cross my arms and wait for her. I could see the light coming from her window . Few students passing by glances more than normal at me before entering the building

Everybody seems to notice me except the one I want

I groan tie will kill me today. I just yank it off and throw it inside the car on the seat and take a deep breath, never wearing a tie again. I turn around to see Stella walking towards me

My breath hinges , my throat feels dry

"Stunning" I breath

I thought she looked best in black but seeing her in a midnight blue dress does something to me I don't wanna explain.

It's a long silk dress that does justice to her figure. The Grecian neckline highlights her shoulder skin. I can see she is wearing heels of course but even though her walk is elegant, and her curves-

Nope don't you dare go there I repeat in my head

She smiles at me. Her eyes lit up a bit. It's her real smile which makes her eyes softer . Her golden hair falling down her waist, she is carrying a small purse in her left hand

Star

she is really a star

"Well good evening freckles" I open the passenger seat door for her. She squints her eyes and giggles seating inside. I get inside and look at her

"May I have the permission to appreciate God's beautiful creation?"

She chuckles and nods "It would be disrespectful if you don't"

I smile wearing my seatbelt and look at her again. Even if I want to, I won't ever look away from her "You look stunning, this dress looks really beautiful on you"

She smiles "Really? How beautiful?" her playful tone doesn't go unnoticed by me . She is confident today and I am loving every minute of it

"Like the first sunrise after a midnight rain" I say and start driving "Actually let me buy a dictionary on our way because my vocabulary can't do justice to your appearance"

As the car moves , the sound of air is mixed with her soft laughter as she gives me a thumbs up, I try to focus on the driving but I wanna watch her smile

"So how was the fashion show?"

Her questions made my headache again recalling all the events "It went well. It's successful" I reply without looking at her

"That's good, I saw a few articles on it . People are impressed . If I am not wrong you were also a part of the designs right?"

I nod "Yes, three of my works were selected"

She opens her phone and shows it to me. They are the pictures of my designs by me , I take a glance at them and look front again "Yep those ones. They are not totally designed by me though, I did the concept"

"They are impressive. I love them" she comments looking at the designs "You think so? Are they up to the mark for NYX?" I ask. She keeps her phone down and looks at me "Yes of course. This is the first time I saw your work and it's amazing Liam. You did a great job"

I look at her , my expressions are firm. I wanna smile but couldn't and she notices it and asks "what happened?"

I look forward and shake my head "nothing "

"It's definitely not nothing. You look really tired" she says , I thought a nap would make me feel better but I guess not. I sigh, which also leads to a small chuckle. I glance at her and ask "Can I be honest with you?" She nods

There is still a long drive left until we reach the venue. I take a deep breath and say "This was my first fashion show and I even made a place in it. I wanted to give my best and maybe between that I forgot to enjoy myself" she listens to me keenly as I speak every word her eyes softens and a small smile appears on her lips

"I was 5 years old when I saw my mother's fashion show for the first time and decided to be like that but the younger me didn't know that I was going to walk on the path of an icon. Everyone expects me to be the best because I am Emily Carter's son. I should be perfect and mistakes are not allowed"

I pause

"If I do something wrong I am compared to my seniors or my mother. If I do my best , I hear the same as

'you did good for Emily's son'

'you are her son this is the least you could do?'

'you are nothing like your mother' and all"

A sarcastic chuckle escapes my mouth as I try my best not to crack my voice

"It's so rare to hear someone complimenting me without mentioning my mother. I know that I will always be criticized and people will think where I am now or where I will be in future is just because of her and not me" my grip tightens around the steering wheel, I try to relax my muscles but couldn't

Sometimes carrying your parents' legacy is not easy. The car is silent, I dare not to look into her eyes , after a few minutes she breaks the silence "Can I also be honest with you?" I nod

"I can understand you. My family is full of lawyers, my father is well known and even my brothers. I was 14 years old when I decided to do fashion designing, everyone was shocked. My brother was the only one who supported me. I tried to study law too but I couldn't fit in and in the end I quit . If I go to any family gatherings and all I still hear people talking about me"

I know that, I know about her studying law and quitting. "I guess we are different but similar to" I comment and she nods "You know when you were helping us complete the project?" I look at her, my eyes trying to read her expressions

She continues "You were talking like an expert, you helped all of us and you knew what you were doing very well. That's when I realized that this is what passion about something looks like. That day i didn't see you as Emily Carter's son, I saw you as Liam Carter Williams"

I open my mouth to speak but the words are not coming out. A feeling of relief takes over me and my muscles relax a bit . I feel a bit peaceful now "That's the best compliment I have ever received, you know how to comfort someone" I appreciate

Our conversations went from up to down and now we are talking about our family , she asked me about my siblings "I have a younger brother and a sister"

"Will they be at the party?" She asks and I deny "Lucas is not interested in this, he did come to the fashion show. Whereas Mia is not allowed until she turns 18 years old"

"What about you? You have two brothers right?" I ask

"Yes , they both are older and lawyers" she replies

"How are your relations with them?"

Her face drops a bit and she looks outside the window. I know i shouldn't have asked this but I really wanted to know "We are fine. My brother loves me but also teases me at the same time" she answers looking outside

Brother? Not brothers? Which one is she talking about? If I remember correctly at the party, the night Stella went missing. Both the brothers caused a whole mess, especially the elder one. With their reaction it was clear they loved her but now she is only talking about one of them . Are they not on good terms now?

"Hm you know my sister always complains about having two brothers. Is it that bad?" I try to divert the subject and she smiles "Yes! I totally support your sister in this. Having two elder brothers exhausting " she says in a dramatic way

I laugh and Shake my head

"Wanna hear some songs?" I ask randomly. Her head snaps in my direction, I could notice the excitement in her eyes as she nods. As I stop the car at the signal, I reach out for my phone and open the Spotify playlist "what's your mood? How are you feeling right now?"

She holds her chin pretending to think of an answer "I feel excited, curious and confident too!"

I nod and go through all the playlists I made. Since I got to know her admiration for Taylor Swift, I created a few playlists for her which she could listen to according to her mood but I am still not confident to tell her about them

And this darn Spotify doesn't allow me to do anything until I paid for the subscription. I stop as I find a perfect song to match her vibe . I connect the Bluetooth and hit play

Baby love, I think I've been a little too kind

Didn't notice you walking all over my peace of mind

She gasps as she realizes what I played . I notice the green signal and start driving again

In the shoes I gave you as a present

Puttin' someone first only works when you're in their top five

And by the way, I'm going out tonight

"Oh you totally know my jaw!" She squeaks as the song keeps playing and she sings along with it

Best believe I'm still bejeweled

When I walk in the room

I can still make the whole place shimmer

And when I meet the band

They ask, "Do you have a man?"

I can still say, "I don't remember"

I chuckle glancing at her as she is too busy vibing on the song. I close the windows and start the air conditioner

Familiarity breeds contempt

Don't put me in the basement

When I want the penthouse of your heart

Diamonds in my eyes

I polish up real, I polish up real nice

As the song comes to an end we are already at the venue. I park the car in the parking lot while Stella fixes her hair and makeup. She notices me looking at her and asks "what?"

"You look amazing freckles, trust me okay?"

I sigh and keep her lipstick back in the small purse. I can see how many things are stuffed in that mini thing. "Here" she holds my tie . I didn't even notice she was holding it. I take the tie from her hand and stare at it and ask "Should I tie it?"

She looks at me confused "where"

A smirk appears on my lips and I reply "How about your wrist?" I say in a low voice as I lean a little towards her. She leans back, she flustered that doesn't go unnoticed by me "that's what your book boyfriend says right?"

She groans and pushes my shoulder a little "when will you stop teasing me about that!" Well i wasn't totally joking but lets go with the flow

I Chuckle and move back "Not in this lifetime, but you did like the idea"

She gasps and looks away, making her flustered is my favourite thing now. I wear my tie again and adjust it . I get out of the car and open the door for her , she gets down. Her lavender scent hits my nose

"Ready?" I extend my hand towards her . She smiles and takes it, I could feel her cold hands in mine as I walk her towards the entrance.

As we enter the hall , we are surrounded by the chatter of people. The room is already occupied, I could notice some of my colleagues and models talking to each other. Few are already near the buffet table eating and few are just drinking.

Stella clench my hand a bit harder and she shoulder stiffen. She is getting nervous, she hates these parties because of the incident but she wouldn't be free until she learns how to face them

I lean towards her ear, she is wearing heels yet still a bit shorter. I whisper softly "Be confident freckles. Walk like you own this place my lady" hearing me she takes a deep breath and looks at me passing me a smile

── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──

Author's Note

This is not the end yet ! The whole party will take 2 chapters more to be completed

I don't know if you all noticed but this is the first time Liam and Stella directly touched each other yk the slow burn thing 😭

Target for next chapter: 250+ votes

-have a nice day/night readers 💟